'Revenge of the Electric Car,' 3 stars

by Randy Cordova - Nov. 3, 2011 09:54 AMThe Arizona Republic

"Revenge of the Electric Car" is a sequel to the 2006 documentary "Who Killed the Electric Car?" The titles neatly summarize what filmmaker Chris Paine has in mind. Think of the first movie as a whodunit; the second as a rebirth brought on by the country's economic crisis.

Paine gets access to General Motors, Nissan and Elon Musk, the PayPal entrepreneur who created the sporty electric vehicle named the Tesla. Paine watches the automakers as they race to get an electric vehicle on the market. Actually, "race" is too strong a word for a movie like this, which drags despite some obvious attempts to give it a Morgan Spurlock-style zip.

Along the way, we encounter interesting people, such as old-school GM exec Bob Lutz, a smooth-talker who comes off like the Jerry Weintraub of the auto industry; and Musk, who usually seems on the verge of a nervous breakdown. There's also the odd celebrity thrown in to pique interest, including Danny DeVito and Jon Favreau.

Still, the overall result isn't particularly effective. Paine is such a cheerleader for the electric car, he tends to gloss over things like the high cost of buying the vehicles or a battery life that's reportedly limited. Smug narration by Tim Robbins doesn't help, as the actor is forced to deliver such portentous statements as "sometimes success is the best reward" like a second-string James Earl Jones.

Ultimately, "Revenge of the Electric Car" is like meeting with an overeager salesman. In real life, that's not necessarily an unpleasant experience, but it also doesn't last 90 minutes.

Reach the reporter at randy.cordova@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8849.